Monterey County has among highest imprisonment rates

Monterey is among the leading counties in California that continue to have high imprisonment rates, and researchers say the levels are not related to local crime rates.

Some call it "justice by geography."

A report released this week by a nonprofit advocacy group, the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, says there are wide disparities across California in how state prisoner realignment is being implemented.

The state's realignment law is designed to dramatically lower the prison population to comply with federal court orders. But recently, California has come under court pressure to reduce the inmate population by another 10,000 before year's end because realignment alone did not lower the numbers enough.

The report suggests some counties aren't doing their part to help keep the prison population down.

"People arrested for felonies in Monterey County are 4.6 times more likely to serve time in state prison as those in San Francisco," wrote Mike Males, a senior research fellow at the center. "If the higher imprisoning counties reduced their new admissions to the much lower rate of Fresno County, for example, prison admission numbers would fall by around 7,000 per quarter."

The center's two-page "fact sheet" is based on state corrections and Department of Justice data comparing prison admissions in the 21 months before and after realignment was implemented in October 2011. The data extend through June 30 of this year.

"California will not meet its mandate to reduce prison populations without additional measures to reduce county disparities in sentencing," Males wrote.

Although Monterey County's prison admission fell by 33 percent after realignment, it still ranks No. 4 in the state for prison admissions compared to felony arrests.

The counties with the highest rates of prison admissions are Kings, Riverside and Butte.

In total, 18 counties, including Los Angeles County, came in higher than the state average.

While the brief report noted the discrepancies, it did not venture into why such variances occur. It recommended the state establish a sentencing commission, adding, "California must address its system of justice by geography."

Realignment lowers the prison population by designating a long list of non-serious, non-violent and non-sexual felonies that are to be dealt with by jail terms or alternative measures instead of prison.

For Monterey County, sending 33 percent fewer inmates to state prison has meant the already crowded Monterey County Jail has become even more packed, leading Sheriff Scott Miller to strike a deal with Alameda County this year to transfer up to 80 jail inmates there.

Although prison reform advocates have suggested that counties are best positioned to use rehabilitation and treatment programs instead of incarceration, Monterey County judges have lagged the rest of the state in ordering treatment instead of jail.

To help reduce jail crowding, Miller said that beginning next week the jail will no longer detain most misdemeanor suspects who have voluntary "holds" for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"We're modifying the ICE detention policy for the jail," Miller said.

Most people charged with nonviolent misdemeanors will now be eligible for bail or released on their own recognizance regardless of immigration status, he said. Exceptions will be certain DUI and domestic violence charges.

Miller also said state legislation passed this week means the county is well positioned to receive $43 million in state funds for a jail expansion plan that would add more than 200 beds.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to address the court's order to reduce the population by nearly 10,000 inmates by Dec. 31.

In SB 105, the Legislature agreed to ask the federal court for more time to meet the reduction goal while investing state money in rehabilitation programs that Senate leader Darrell Steinberg said will "slow the revolving door of prison."

But if the judges decide not to extend their deadline — which in the past they have not been inclined to do — the bill authorizes $315 million to pay for private prison beds.

Well before SB 105 passed, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation began preparations to send thousands of inmates out of state.

In recent weeks, prisoners were handed memos telling them out-of-state transfers are imminent.